Wrexham

The course, founded in 1906 but moving to its present site in 1923, had been shortlisted for their top 50 in the country ranking and I suspect it will be in the top half of that list when the it is published later this year – that was my feedback anyway!

James Braid was the man responsible for laying out the course in the 1920’s but much of that was lost during World War II and it is unclear what original features remain in tact.

The first seven holes really showcases the best of Wrexham, which for the most part plays on sandy, rolling and mature parkland terrain. It very much reminded me of courses in neighbouring Cheshire such as Wilmslow and Prestbury.

In this opening stretch we find all sorts of interesting green sites, most of which are set on ledges or up on plateaus. The fairways are generous and follow the topography of the land nicely.

The opening hole hits you with a bit of a wow factor; a 515-yard par five that sweeps down a valley before playing up to a raised green. The fourth is also a strong par three and the seventh is a glorious hole snaking through a valley of mature woodland.

The back nine is more traditional parkland but still has some strong holes. I was particularly fond of the 13th which opens up beautifully and has a very natural green location.

The condition was very good and thanks to the recent dry spell the course was browning off nicely. Thankfully the club have cleared a lot of trees and shrubs out so finding your ball is easy if you hit it in to any of the wooded areas.

The course is set to improve too with a bunker restoration about to commence.

The par at Wrexham is 70 and the yardage is just 6,131 but it feels to play longer and is no surprise that it has hosted many national tournaments.